Ill Fates
by MyKnightLife
Summary: When Kirby becomes ill and overexerts himself to meet Meta Knight for a training session, Meta Knight takes it upon himself to care for the pink puff until he's well again. Short little multi-chapter story, with some cute Kirby and Meta Knight mentor/student, father/son bonding. CURRENTLY CANCELED
1. Chapter 1

It was a warm and beautiful early morning in Pupu Village today. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, and with it everything started coming alive. The birds chirped, the flowers opened with the bee's starting to pollinate, the butterflies fluttering though the breeze, the sun's rays melting the morning dew. It was simply beautiful.

As the sun slowly came up its rays fell on a small little house in the countryside, shining through the window and on the face of a familiar pink puffball. Kirby groaned a bit from being woken up so early, cracking his blue eyes open. He was usually a heavy sleeper, so he was surprised to be woken up by a bit of sun. As he lay there however he slowly realized that he didn't feel quite right. He was in a cold sweat, causing his bed sheets to feel all sticky and he felt chilled despite how warm it already was. To top it all of his body ached with pain all over.

Moaning he curled into a ball as he pulled the covers to his face. He sighed closing his eyes in hopes of falling back asleep. Maybe he would feel better a bit later? It's not like anyone would worry about him if he slept in anyway, as he slept quite a lot as is. As he lay there slowly relaxing to the point of drifting in and out of sleep, a thought popped into his head causing him to suddenly sit up. The sudden movement caused his body to protest with intense pain, and Kirby gave out a whimper as he remembered what he had planned today. How could he have forgotten?! Yesterday Meta Knight had arranged a training session with him this morning. Kirby turned to look out his window toward the sun. It was still quite low on the horizon, but Meta Knight was an early riser and he was sure to be waiting for Kirby in about an hour.

Groaning Kirby slowly made his way to the end of his bed, ignoring his body aches. He couldn't disappoint his mentor by not showing up despite being sick. He sat there for a bit panting from the effort it took to move. Shaking it off he hopped to the floor and slowly made his way to the door. Upon opening it he was greeted with a warm gust of air. However to him all it did was send chills down his spine, and the sweat slicking down his body didn't help much either. Closing the door behind him he slowly started walking in the direction of the meadow that he and Meta Knight regularly trained at.

"Hey, where you going there sport?" an annoying and high pitched voice called from behind him. Kirby stopped in his tracks, groaning. He knew that voice anywhere. Suddenly his vision was blurred by a flutter of yellow and the said bird was now flapping right in from of him.

"Isn't it a bit early for you to out and about?" Tokkori harassed. "'Bout time you started waking up earlier!" he sneered with a laugh. He stopped just long enough to get a good look at Kirby, and realized, how terrible the child actually looked. "Oh, hey you don't look so good Kirby. I don't think it would be a good idea for you to be wandering around in this heat."

Kirby shook his head, "Mena poyo," he stated weakly, trying to get his point across.

"Uh, well I don't know what metal face has anything to do with you being sick, but-", he was cut off as Kirby started walking around him, not having the patience to deal with Tokkori at the moment. "Hey I wasn't done taking to you!" Tokkori shouted as he fluttered back in front of Kirby, only to be pushed away by the pink puff.

"Fine see if I care!" Tokkori retorted as he watched Kirby leave. "I was just trying to help, but obviously you're too stupid to stay inside and rest!"

Kirby just continued walking, ignoring the shouts of his friend. He didn't care right now; even if some of the things he said were rather mean. All he cared about was that he had made arraignments for a training session with Meta Knight today, and he had full intentions of being there.

A few minutes passed, but Kirby already felt like passing out. It wasn't that far of a walk to the meadow, but as he went he staggered about and his breathing was heavy and labored. Every now and then he'd pant out a few 'poyo's' to verbally express how crappy he actually felt. But his determination to get to the training session overrode everything else and he continued forward nonetheless. Once there he would probably feel better and have a good match with his mentor, right?

He was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he tripped over a rock, falling face first into the dirt. His body aching from his fall, Kirby slowly moved his arms under him to pick himself up. He had tears in his eyes from the pain.

"Poyo," he whimpered. Maybe training wasn't such a good idea after all. Once he got there maybe he would just tell Meta Knight that he didn't feel well today. He would understand right? But, what if Meta Knight was disappointed in him, or even angry for not having the energy to train or be stronger. After all, he was a Star Warrior and a little sickness shouldn't be a problem. Disappointing his mentor wasn't an option for him.

Shaking it off and blinking the tears away he continued on his way as best he could. He felt so light headed and exhausted though. The heat wasn't helping either, and it caused him to sweat more than he already was. And somehow he was actually shivering despite the warmth, causing him to hug himself as he walked.

As Kirby trekked he could finally see the meadow, full of flowers and butterflies like usual. Usually he would run to the scene and pounce into the flowers giggling like the child he was. However, today was different. It was a miracle he even made it to the meadow without blacking out in the first place, and unlike his hopes of feeling better once getting there, he actually felt worse. By now he was heavily dragging his feet and was taking deep, panting breaths. Sweat licked down his body as his walked and his head pounded with his labored heartbeat. Finally pushing his body to the breaking point he felt his vision blur, staggered, and suddenly everything went black.

* * *

Meanwhile, a certain masked knight was beginning to make his way toward the meadow. By now it was mid-morning and the sun was already beating down harshly on the environment. Meta Knight didn't seemed fazed though, and every now and then a nice breeze would blow taking the edge off as he walked, ruffling his cape in the process. Looking around him he admired the beauty of the landscape as he passed by. Birds chirping, butterflies flying from flower to flower, and the rustling of the trees from the breeze; all of it combined was quite relaxing to him.

He gave a sigh of contentment, holding his cape tighter around himself as he walked.

 _'What should I focus on for Kirby's training today?'_ , he thought to himself. _'Maybe Kirby's blocks perhaps?'_. He had noticed that from past training sessions with the sword that Kirby struggled in his defense against him. Granted, the tot was still learning, but not leaving your weak spots open was something that Meta Knight still needed to address with Kirby. It could very well save the tot's life in a demon beast attack; not that Meta Knight would let it go that far, but experience was good.

Nodding to himself at the decision he picked up his pace. The sooner he got to the meadow the sooner he and Kirby could begin the days training.

Within a few minutes Meta Knight had reached his destination. He scanned the meadow with his amber eyes, looking for any sign of his student. Ah! There he was, at the other end of the meadow.

"Kirby," Meta Knight called as he made his way over there. No response. "Kirby!" he tried again, a little louder this time. Still nothing. No movement or sign that Kirby had heard him at all.

"Hmm.," Meta Knight hummed. Something wasn't right. He quickened his pace, hoping that Kirby was just sleeping or something. However a gut instinct told him that that wasn't it. Even in deep sleep you could usually wake Kirby up quite easily by calling or gently shaking him.

As he got near he realized that Kirby was actually passed out face first into the dirt. Alarmed Meta Knight rushed to Kirby's side, and roll the tot over onto his back. Kirby wheezed a bit, but other than that he didn't stir.

"Kirby, wake up!" Meta Knight said as he picked the limp tot up and cradled him. Nothing. "Come one little one, wale up," Meta Knight softly tried. Still no response. It was then that he realized how hot and sweaty Kirby actually felt in his arms. Gently placing a gloved hand on Kirby's forehead and moving it to the pale tot's cheek he immediately knew Kirby was running a dangerously high fever. Besides Kirby's shallow breathing the tot appeared practically dead in his arms. His abnormally pale skin gave him a ghostly look, and the sweat sliding down him showed outwardly the extent of his fever.

Meta Knight looked around rather frantically, his eyes turning a dark swirling grey in worry. He needed to take Kirby back and cool him down, NOW! Any longer and Kirby could…

He shook his head ridding himself of such thoughts. Kirby wasn't dead yet, he wouldn't let it happen. Right now Kirby needed him now more than ever, and Meta Knight wouldn't let Kirby go without a fight.

"Alright Kirby, let's get you back and get some help," Meta Knight said, more to himself.

Standing up and making sure Kirby was securely in his arms, Meta Knight turned around and did something that he swore to himself he would never reveal unless in absolutely dire situations.

 _'Oh for the love of…when was the last time I did this!?'_ he thought to himself. As he held Kirby tightly he felt the odd, yet familiar sensation of his navy cape transforming into a large pair of bat wings. Immediately he shot into the air from a standing position, pumping his wings to gain altitude quickly. He wanted to make sure he was out of sight from anyone on the ground.

Once high enough he leveled off, and beat his wings as fast as he could back to town.

Glancing at the limp tot in his arms Meta Knight's eyes turned a dark ocean blue, almost the same shade as his skin. He had always been rather hands off with Kirby, but deep down he truly did care about the child's well-being. He had watched him grow from when he first crash-landed on Popstar and had seen firsthand what a strong and brave warrior he was becoming; and at such a young age! Kirby had conquered many a demon beast on his own, and now, to think he could possibly die from some random, yet deadly illness…

Meta Knight gave a shaky sigh, his eyes returning to their normal amber as he regained control of himself. He held Kirby tightly as he shielded the tot from the wind.

"Kirby, please just hold on a little while longer," he said as he picked up the pace.

Looking down at the ground Meta Knight realized he was passing right over the river with the small bridge that traveled through Pupu Village. Meta Knight stared at it for a second before the realization hit him so hard that it was like being run over by Dedede's tank.

"That's it!" Meta Knight gasped. Quickly he held Kirby tightly against him and pulled his wings in to quickly loose altitude. If anyone would have been around to see, it would have looked like Meta Knight was slicing through the air like a knife going through butter. Just before hitting the ground however he suddenly spread his wings to their full potential, allowing them to catch the air and land on the ground next to the river with only a soft 'thud'. He folded his wings as he landed, allowing them to morph back into his cape.

He approached the river, with Kirby still cradled in his arms. "Kirby, please wake up," he tried again, stroking the tot a little to prod him to wake. But like each time before, no response. Meta Knight gave a sigh. He didn't really want to shock Kirby by holding him in the water without wakening him up first, but Kirby's lack of response left him no choice. His fever needed reduced, and this was the fastest way to do it. He wasted no time stepping into the shallow water as he bent down to gingerly eased Kirby into the rushing river.

However upon Kirby's hot skin coming in contact with the cool water the tot suddenly gave a hard jolt, accompanied by a loud gasp. His blue eyes shot open and he appeared disoriented as he suddenly struggled a bit in Meta Knights arms, though not very hard given how weak he currently was.

"Shh, it's okay Kirby," Meta Knight soothed as he gently lifted the disoriented and whimpering tot from the water for a minute. "I'm sorry. It's just me." Kirby appeared dazed; his eyes glazed over. However he stopped struggling upon realizing he was in Meta Knight's arms, and he stared back into his mentor's eyes and tried focusing on his words as best he could. Feeling Kirby's forehead again Meta Knight said softly "You have an extremely high fever little one. If you don't cool down fast it could become life threatening, if it isn't already. That's why I was easing you into the river so your temperature would go down." Kirby gave a weak nod, understanding what his mentor was trying to do.

Slowly Meta Knight gently eased Kirby back into the water until he was partially submerged. Meta Knight had one arm around Kirby for support, and the other hand he held against Kirby's forehead to prevent the rushing water from getting into the tot's eyes. Immediately the poor tot started violently shivering upon contact with the cool water, letting out a small whimper and giving Meta Knight a pathetic look.

"I know, I know…it's cold," Meta Knight said, "However, you need to sit in the water for just a few minutes to reduce your fever. I promise it will help you to feel better."

Kirby gave a shaky sigh, but nodded as he closed his eyes. He knew Meta Knight was probably right, but to be honest he felt utterly terrible right now. Yes, the water was reducing his fever and the coolness was welcome, but at the same time the cool water was only making his muscles tighten up and his body ache more. He tried his best to deal with it for as long as he could, but after a few minutes his discomfort became unbearable and he gave a few whimpers looking up at Meta Knight with teary eyes.

"Alright, Kirby." Meta Knight said as he slowly lifted the tot out of the water, and walked back to the river bank with the tot in his arms. Once on the bank he carefully set Kirby on the ground, allowing the tot to lean against him for support as he started drying Kirby off with his cape. Once dry Meta Knight felt Kirby's forehead again. It was cooler than before, which made him inwardly sigh with relief. It seems the river helped reduce Kirby's fever to a more stable level, at least for now.

Despite Kirby's fever having gone down though, the tot still looked quite terrible. He was still sickly pale and leaned heavily into Meta Knight as he panted from lack of energy; despite hardly moving the last few minutes. Every now and then he would swallow his spit with a teary whimper following suit, indicating that Kirby had a really bad sore throat as well. Meta Knight couldn't help but look at Kirby with pity; the poor child clearly didn't feel well at all and quickly needed to see a doctor.

Meta Knight gave a sigh and gently picked the tot up; there was no way Kirby would have the energy to walk back to town with him. Gently Meta Knight wrapped his cape around Kirby for warmth and comfort as he cradled the small puffball in his arms.

"I'm going to take you to Dr. Yabui's, Kirby. You need a diagnosis so we know just what you're dealing with," he said as he started making his way to the doctor's. "Hopefully it's nothing too serious."

Kirby didn't respond. He was shaking like a leaf as he fought crying from how crummy he felt right now. He felt WAY worse than he did earlier. His body ached like crazy all over, his sore throat had intensified so greatly that he could hardly swallow anymore, he had a pounding headache, and he even felt a bit nauseous to top it off. He leaned into Meta Knight's shoulder as his whimpers slowly became deep, sharp breaths as he started to chokingly sob.

Meta Knight gently rubbed Kirby's back, trying to keep the child from having a full on break down. "Shh," he soothed, "I know, you don't feel well. It's okay...don't cry."

He held Kirby close as he walked back into town, softly stroking the tot to keep him as calm as possible. It seemed to help just enough, as Kirby stopped crying and mostly just groaned or whimpered. It took a few minutes to get to the outskirts of town where Dr. Yabui was located, but once there Meta Knight opened the glass doors and walked in with Kirby.

The waiting room was empty, not surprisingly, and the only soul in the room besides the two puffballs was Dr. Yabui. He was sitting at his desk and seemed to have taken no notice of their entry. He seemed quite engrossed in some papers that he was filling out; likely for his recent patients.

Meta Knight took a few steps forward and cleared his throat. This clearly startled Dr. Yabui as he visibly jumped and let out a small "AHH!". He looked at Meta Knight and suddenly seemed to be filled with great joy. He clasped his hands together, excitedly exclaiming "Oh, Sir Meta Knight! How exciting! I don't believe you have ever come in before! What can I do for you?"

Meta Knight raised an eyebrow. Clearly Dr. Yabui thought he was going to get to examine the veteran Star Warrior today. Meta Knight shook his head. "Nothing for me today I'm afraid," He stated, though he didn't feel the slightest guilt in telling the man this; he was not one for the doctors. "Instead I need you to take a look at Kirby." Meta Knight moved his cape just enough to reveal the pink tot in his arms.

"Oh," Dr. Yabui said, slightly disappointed. However, one look at Kirby and Dr. Yabui knew the child wasn't well and needed examined. "Oh my!" He exclaimed, putting a hand to his mouth. "This room please!" he pointed at the door with his clipboard, and motioned for Meta Knight to follow.

Upon entering the room, Dr. Yabui motioned for Meta Knight to set Kirby on one of the examination beds. Meta Knight gently set the tot down, and took a few steps back to allow Dr. Yabui to look him over.

Dr. Yabui then offered Meta Knight the clipboard and said "I'm going to need you to fill out these papers for Kirby. I know you're not his parent, but please try to fill it out as best you can while I examine him."

Meta Knight rolled his eyes and irritatingly snatched the clipboard out of the Doctors hand. He took the pen that was attached to the top and started filling it out to the best of his ability.

Dr. Yabui on the other hand started to look Kirby over. He started with the stethoscope and listened to Kirby's heartbeat. "Hmm, heartbeat sounds a bit fast." This caused Meta Knight to glance up from the clipboard. Dr. Yabui then moved the stethoscope around to Kirby's back to listen to the child's lungs. "Please take a few deep breaths for me, okay?" Kirby did as told and inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Lungs sound fine, even if his breathing is a bit labored," Dr. Yabui said, taking the stethoscope out of his ears, and placing it around his neck. "But that's expected for someone in his condition."

Meta Knight then went back to filling out the papers. He had practically everything filled in, except for things he either didn't know or he purposely chose to exempt; like age, and species. Meta Knight handed back the clipboard to Dr. Yabui, who glanced at it for a minute making sure everything checked out.

"Hmm, no species or age," he mumbled more to himself. Meta Knight was about to retort and say something in his defense, but Dr. Yabui finished for him by stating "But who's going to know that!". He then set the clipboard down and went back to checking out his patient.

Meta Knight walked besides Dr. Yabui and asked, "So how is he?"

Dr. Yabui didn't respond for a minute. He took out a popsicle like stick and had the child open his mouth. Kirby whimpered holding back tears. "To be honest with you this is one of the worst cases I have seen in a while."

"So, you know what he has?" Meta Knight prodded.

Dr. Yabui continued to check Kirby's mouth and throat a little more, using a small flashlight to see better. "I'm pretty positive he has a really bad case of Strep Throat. Everything seems to be checking out for that."

Meta Knight was a bit taken back by the statement. Strep Throat!? How could Kirby have caught that? It would explain all of his symptoms though; the spiked fever, extremely raw throat, body aches, and a few others he was probably unaware of.

"It's quite treatable though," Dr. Yabui suddenly stated, bring the old knight out of his thoughts. "It's nothing to usually worry about. Though it can be extremely painful when swallowing, and can bring about body aches, bad headaches, high fever, and in rare cases nausea and vomiting." Dr. Yabui turned to Meta Knight, "Do you know for sure how many symptoms he has had?"

"Well I know he has the sore throat, and high fever for sure. His fever was so high that I had to actually dip him in the river to quickly cool him down. And-"

"Wait, what?!" Dr. Yabui cut him off, waving a hand as a signal to stop talking. "How high was his fever exactly?"

"I'm not sure," Meta Knight continued, "However, to the touch his skin practically burned me on contact, and I found him passed out and unresponsive. We were going to do some training today, but obviously that didn't happen."

Dr. Yabui looked troubled. He took out a thermometer from one of the drawers, and put it in Kirby's mouth. "That's not good," He worryingly stated. "Obviously, you got him to wake up and become responsive though."

"Yes, but only after I eased him into the river. The cold water shocked his system a bit, and he woke up disoriented. He is much better than he was earlier, as he seemed practically dead in my arms then, but that may or may not mean anything as his condition could be worse than we realize."

Dr. Yabui nodded and was about to say something when he was suddenly cut off by the beeping of the thermometer. He took it out of Kirby's mouth and looked at it. 103.3 is what it read.

"Oh…that's high," he said. He glanced at Meta Knight, and he could tell by the way the Star Warrior held himself that he was anxious at the statement. "I'm going to be honest with you. Coupled with the fact that Kirby already had a high fever from strep, and the heat of the warm day…" he paused, trying to find the words, "Going by your word of how hot he actually felt, I believe he also could have had heat exhaustion from being passed out in the sun. That would explain the increased heart rate, and his rather dazed and disoriented state. Any longer though and he would have definitely had heat stroke. And in his condition that would have most likely killed him."

Meta Knight looked away at that statement, and stared at the ground. He couldn't help but partly blame himself for the fact Kirby's life had been in danger from heat stroke. If he hadn't scheduled a training session with Kirby today the child may have never wandered out of his house and overexerted himself, later to be found passed out in the hot summer sun. On the other hand, Kirby would have been sick regardless and his condition may have worsened anyway. And being alone in such a state isn't very smart. It was a two edged sword really.

Meta Knight was suddenly startled out of his thoughts as Dr. Yabui started talking again. "I will say this though. Your quick thinking in giving him a dip in the river might have very well saved his life. If Kirby was taken straight here his temperature may not have lowered quick enough, and there most likely would have been complications from it." He paused for a minute, seeming to be thinking about something. "How did you know to dip him in the river anyway? Most people aren't aware of such methods for high fevers."

"It's just war training," Meta Knight simply stated. "It helps to know such things when confronted with situations such as this."

"Indeed!" Dr. Yabui stated. "You are to be commended for your quick actions."

"Thank you," Meta Knight said softly. "So how did he get strep?"

"Most likely just from hanging around the other children. Someone must have had it. It's easily spread by coughing, sneezing, even just breathing in some cases," Dr. Yabui stated, "It's easy to treat though. Just some penicillin and he should be good to go. In fact, I'll write it up now."

Meta Knight nodded his thanks as Dr. Yabui left the room to get the prescription. With the Doctor gone Meta Knight turned his attention back to Kirby. The child seemed so out of it, and Meta Knight realized that Kirby had hardly made a peep since they got here. Had he even heard the conversation he and Dr. Yabui had just had? His eyes were half closed and glazed over, and he appeared to be fighting crying again. To put it bluntly Kirby's strep made him extremely miserable and sensitive, to the point of suffering even.

Meta Knight quietly walked over to Kirby, and looked at the tot genuinely. However, Kirby seemed to have taken no notice of Meta Knight's approach. He seemed just as dazed as when he first woke up by the river. Meta Knight moved his hand out toward Kirby and held it in the air for a minute, contemplating whether to comfort him more or not. He hesitated only briefly, and proceeded to gently rest his hand on top of Kirby's head.

This caused Kirby to come out of his trance like state as he slowly moved his eyes to meet Meta Knight's.

"How are you doing little one?" Meta Knight softly asked, almost in a whisper as he gently rubbed the top of Kirby's head.

"Okaypoyo," Kirby assured, his voice barely audible. He managed to give Meta Knight a small smile despite how he felt.

"Are you sure? I don't think I can believe you with the way you've been acting all day."

Kirby's face changed at the comment. He became downcast and Meta Knight could see tears well up in his eyes. He looked at the child, concerned.

"Hey, you alright?" Meta Knight gently asked, eyes glowing warmly as he spoke.

Kirby looked back up at him for a second, before proceeding to shakily stand up and quickly embrace his mentor. Meta Knight was startled for a minute and looked down at Kirby, who was very clearly seeking his comfort in his emotional state. A few tears fell down Kirby's cheeks as he clung to him.

Slowly Meta Knight wrapped his arms around the tot, returning the embrace. "I didn't think so little one," He whispered, as he gently rubbed the tot's back.

"Alright! I have filed the prescription," a voice from behind suddenly stated, causing Meta Knight to detach himself from Kirby and turn around. He saw Dr. Yabui standing by the door of the room with a bottle of some type of medicine in his hands. He was looking at it intently, before he looked up and walked over to the duo. "So he needs one capful of this a day. With a meal would be good too. If you do that, he should be better in a week's time." Dr. Yabui then handed the bottle to Meta Knight, who took it and put it in an unknown pocket in his cape.

"Thank you, Dr. Yabui." Meta Knight said, grateful for the man's help.

"Anytime. Maybe next time we can do a check up on you," Dr. Yabui added, pointing his pen to Meta Knight.

Meta Knight stared at him for a minute. "We'll see.". He then proceeded to gently pick Kirby up and have the child rest on his shoulder.

"Is that a yes? You didn't say no." Dr. Yabui excitedly stated, pointing his pen at Meta Knight and having an excited grin on his face.

"I wouldn't push your luck if I were you," Meta Knight threatened as he glared down the Doctor. His patience was starting to wear thin with him.

"Alright, alright! Shesh!" Dr. Yabui yelled, putting his hands up in defeat. "In that case, I hope Kirby gets better soon, and I bid you good day."

Meta Knight just nodded as he walked past the doctor to leave. He walked out of the room and into the main lobby, pushing the glass doors open as he left the building. With Kirby in his arms, he made his way to the path that would lead back to Castle DDD. As he walked along the path he came to a fork in the road, and chose the right one as that was the back way around to the castle. He didn't feel like going in the middle of town and having everyone crowd around and ask what was wrong with the pink puff.

"Let's get you back to the castle little one. You need your rest," Meta Knight said softly, gently patting the fragile tot.

Kirby didn't respond. He just didn't have the energy to really do so. Instead he tiredly leaned into Meta Knight's shoulder, and gave an exhausted sigh. His eyelids where heavy, and after a few minutes he slowly felt himself being lulled to sleep by the motion of Meta Knights walking and the warm cape wrapped around him. Finally, snugly in his mentor's arms, he closed his eyes and gave in to the heavy pull of sleep.

* * *

 **Hey guys! This is my first fanfic ever so don't be shy about giving any constructive criticism or pointers you may have. I've had a lot of fun writing this so far, and I hope you enjoy it and stick around for the ride. Let me know what you think and don't forget to R &R! Thanks for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**GUYS! I'M NOT DEAD YET! And neither is this story! First off, let me sincerely apologize for not updating, but this chapter just didn't want to come fast. I worked on it everyday since posting chapter 1 (and even before if you'd believe it), but unfortunately it literally took this long to get this chapter the way I wanted it. It's still not my favorite, but after writing and rewriting this chapter I am finally happy with the way it is. I could have possibly done better, but I eventually reached that point where I realized I just needed to let it go and move on. But I'm happy with it so here we are! Also, I'm debating on whether or not to make this story longer than originally intended. I was originally thinking 3 chapters, but I may add a few more for some extra plot and more fun. I'm still hesitant to say that, but I even wrote this chapter with that in mind lol. But it could work either way. Plot isn't always my strong point, let's just say that. Anyway as always tell me how I did with the chapter! Let me know if any characters feel OOC (especially Meta Knight), and please point out any spelling/punctuation errors as I'm good at missing those things. And as a reward for your patience this chapter is longer. Enjoy :)**

* * *

Meta Knight approached the door to his room, finally having made it back after the stressful events earlier that day. He had thankfully passed no one as he trekked through the halls of Castle Dedede. If his Majesty heard about Kirby staying with him at the castle, he would be sure to have a fit. He still wasn't sure how he would cover for Kirby's absence as well as his own given Kirby's need of constant care, and he absolutely refused to leave the tot's side during his weakened state. He was Kirby's support, and his own belligerent King wasn't getting in the way of it! That…he was sure of.

He then looked down at Kirby sleeping rather unsoundly in his arms; the tot was so sick that even sleep seemed uncomfortable for him. The poor thing.

He turned the knob of his door to open it, and found Sword and Blade inside who upon noticing his entrance seemed rather surprised. They looked like they were just about ready to leave themselves, only having to grab a few more things before they started patrolling.

"Sir!" they both saluted in unison, straightening their posture.

Meta Knight nodded, giving a soft "Shhh." He slowly placed a finger to where his mouth would be as a signal to be quiet. He then carefully moved his cape to reveal Kirby sleeping in his arms. He got a couple slightly stunned responses from his two squires, as Kirby in their Lord's arms was the last they were expecting. "He's sleeping," he whispered, "It's been a long day for him, so please keep your voices low," he finished as he carefully readjusted Kirby in his arms.

Sword and Blade nodded in unison, before quietly approaching Meta Knight to get a closer look at Kirby.

"Aw, poor kid. He looks terrible!" Sword quietly commented.

"What's wrong with him?" Blade asked.

Meta Knight sighed, mentally going over the day's events again. "Kirby's really sick with a bad case of strep throat. Training was out of the question, so I brought him back here so he could rest while being under adult supervision."

"Is that why you're back so early?"

Their Lord nodded and simply replied, "Indeed."

"S-so, what happened? Is he okay?" Sword asked, voicing the concerns both he and his brother were thinking.

"Yeah, yeah…he's fine," Meta Knight replied, trying his best to keep the tiredness in his voice from showing. "He had a dangerously high fever, and I found him passed and unresponsive in our regular training spot. I won't go into too much detail, but it was definitely bad enough for me to have to bring his fever down in a river _and_ take him to Dr. Yabui's to be examined."

They two squires stayed in stunned silent for a minute, not really knowing what to say to that. It was Blade who broke the silence and replied, "Well that sounds horrible. I'm sorry to hear that."

Sword nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that must have been a pretty rough morning." Meta Knight nodded his thanks, and they all stood in silence for a minute before Sword suddenly asked, "So what are you going to do until he's well?"

"He's going to stay here so that I can watch him until he's better," Meta Knight said. "It's best to be safe than sorry. I'll keep him in my room though so you guys don't have to be exposed to the strep, as there's no need for you two to get sick yourselves."

"What about King Dedede?" Blade added, "If he finds Kirby in the Castle there is a good chance he will try to order a demon beast to try and get rid of him, especially in his weakened state!"

"And that is why we have to keep this on the down low," Meta Knight replied, lowering his voice as if prying ears were just outside the door. He continued, "Just remember though that we may be serving him, but in the end Kirby's safety comes first."

"Right!" Sword stated. Then pulling his sword out of its sheath he continued, "And if his _Royal Highness_ gives any trouble…"

"We can be very persuasive!" Blade finished for him, punching a fist into his hand.

Meta Knight eyed his squires carefully, and held a hand up. "Such methods will not be necessary. You guys can help by just keeping an eye on him, and reporting back to me. King Dedede is usually pretty harmless and normally it wouldn't be an issue, but given how sick Kirby is I prefer if Dedede stays out of the picture. If things suddenly get serious then we'll talk." He paused for a minute, allowing them to take in the information before continuing, "Now, I think you two should be heading off. Keep up training and patrol as usual. Oh, and if you see Fumu please tell her to stop by at some point. She needs to know about Kirby's predicament."

Sword and Blade both nodded as they sheathed their swords and made their way out the door. Before closing it Sword said, "Oh and Sir, please tell Kirby we said to get better soon."

Meta Knight nodded. "Will do," he replied softly. The two squires closed the door behind them, and with that Meta Knight turned around to put Kirby to bed.

* * *

Kirby groggily woke up a few hours later. At first his vison was blurry, and he had to blink a few times to gain a clear picture of his surroundings. It took him a minute to get his bearings, but upon scanning the room he came to realize he was in Meta Knight's quarters; or more accurately, in Meta Knight's bed. It was also at this point that he realized he had sweated out the bed, with the sheets grossly sticking to him. However, this time the sweating felt different. He felt extremely nauseous, and he could feel his stomach just churning. He slowly sat up, clutching his tummy.

"Mena!" he called, as he leaned into himself. A few seconds later he heard the door to the room creak open, and Meta Knight walked in. Upon laying eyes on his pupil he knew something wasn't right.

"Kirby? Are you okay?" he asked, as he approached the tot. Despite his mask one could tell he was studying Kirby's body language quite intently. His eyes widened once he noticed Kirby's sickeningly green color, and the way he leaned into his stomach. "Kirby…get to the bathroom!" he stated, his voiced laced with urgency.

Kirby didn't have to be told twice as a sudden wave of nausea caused him to suddenly leap off the bed. He sprinted passed his mentor and into the bathroom…but he didn't quite make it. He collapsed on the ground and violently started throwing up on the floor.

Meta Knight dashed in a second later, and slapped his forehead from dread at what he saw. "Kirby…" he groaned to himself. He gave a sigh and shook his head as he shuffled up behind Kirby, placing a hand on the tots back in comfort as he waited it out. With each passing wave Meta Knight could feel Kirby tense up as he threw up his last meals; which for him, was quite a lot. When Kirby caught a break between each wave he would start to choke down sobs and whimpers, to which Meta Knight would attempt to sooth with a gentle "Shh," while he rubbed the tot's back.

After a minute, Kirby's stomach started to finally slow down. He felt one last wave and gagged up nothing but stomach bile. Kirby sat there on his paws staring at his mess, shaking from exhaustion. After a moment of recovering he miserably looked back at his mentor with misty eyes, his raw and burning throat starting to close up as he started hiccuping erratically.

"Oh no no no, shhh it's okay Kirby," Meta Knight attempted to gently sooth. He paused a second before asking, "Are you done?" Kirby managed a nod through his sniveling, and sheepishly looked at his mess like his mentor would be mad. Noticing this Meta Knight assured, "It's alright, it was an accident." He then helped lift Kirby to his feet and noticed the tot had made a bit of a mess of himself as well. He gave a sigh. "Here, let's clean you up," he said as he guided Kirby to the bathtub. He lifted the tot in as he turned the water on. "Start washing off, while I clean that up. I'll be back to help you in a second."

Kirby nodded blinking his tears away as Meta Knight turned around to clean up the mess. Kirby on the other hand pitifully moved under the running water as he began cleaning himself off. Thankfully it didn't take too long, and within a couple minutes he gave himself a once over, making sure he was cleaned to his satisfaction. After that he cupped his paws and sipped the water to wash his mouth out. He shuddered at the taste in his mouth, and made sure to rinse and spit thoroughly; he did not want to be tasting it later. With Meta Knight still preoccupied he decided to then stand under the warm rushing water, closing his eyes. It felt very soothing actually. Coupled with the warmth the water was running on him in a way that almost felt like a massage, and for his achy body this was rather therapeutic. He stood like that recovering until he noticed Meta Knight coming back over with a towel and a bar of soap. Kirby stepped out of the water, rubbing his eyes as Meta Knight plugged the bathtub.

"Alright Kirby, come here," Meta Knight gently beckoned, gesturing for him. The tot obeyed as Meta Knight started washing him with soap. He was careful though because he knew how ticklish Kirby was; if the child flinched, it could hurt given his tenderness. He gently washed avoiding the tot's eyes, while Kirby stayed still for him like a good boy until he washed to his mentor's satisfaction. Once finished he gave Kirby a good rinse to wash the soap off. Satisfied Meta Knight unplugged the drain and turned the water off as the bath was left to empty. He then lifted Kirby out of the water and set him down as he started drying him with the towel he had grabbed. No words were spoken as he did so, and Kirby just silently stood there eyes closed looking very exhausted, and very pale. To be honest he felt very sensitive emotionally right now, and all's he wanted was to be held and snuggled in comforting arms.

He was so engrossed in his tired thoughts that he didn't realize that Meta Knight had tossed the towel away, and all of a sudden Kirby felt a pair of gentle hands lift him up and cradle him gently. Kirby opened his tired eyes as Meta Knight held him upright like a baby and started walking out of the bathroom and into his room.

Kirby felt very relaxed in his arms and leaned into him, squishing his cheek against his mentors mask in the process. Meta Knight noticed this and a small smile formed on his lips. He gave Kirby a gentle pat on the back as a comforting gesture to help him relax.

"Let's get back to bed," he uttered softly. "You need to rest now." At his bed he was about to pull the covers back and set Kirby down, only to discover that the tot actually had a death grip on him. "Kirby, will you let go of me please?" Meta Knight asked gently.

Kirby glanced up at him, but shook his head. "No poyo," he hoarsely uttered, his voice so quite Meta Knight had a hard time hearing him. If anything though, he only held on tighter.

"No?" Meta Knight softly questioned. "And why is that little one? You won't get better unless you lay back down and rest, right?" Kirby hesitated but eventually nodded. "Mmm hm, now why don't you be good and cooperate for me, alright?" Meta Knight stated gently as he took one of Kirby's paws and carefully tried to pry the tot off of him.

But Kirby struggled and only held on tighter, afraid of being pried off. He felt very fatigued despite it, but after throwing up he felt highly stressed and sensitive, and just wanted to feel safe and secure in the arms of the adult he trusted most. Was that too much to ask?

"Kirby…" Meta Knight suddenly warned a little too sternly, getting irritated at the child's lack of cooperation. But what he didn't realize was that Kirby was nearly on the brink of tears.

Kirby harshly flinched at his tone and tears quickly welled up in his eyes, his breathing hitching erratically with it. His face twisted in a grimace, lip quivering as he finally broke into quite sobs.

"P-oyo…po-yo," he hitched, big wet tears streaming down his face as he hugged his mentor.

Surprised Meta Knight held Kirby closer, gently stroking his back as he did so. "Hey hey, no shhh Kirby…sshhh…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," he whispered apologetically, his eyes showing his concern. "It's okay Kirby…I'm sorry." But Kirby acted like he didn't even hear him. He made no effort to respond, and kept his face buried into him as he cried. Realizing he wasn't getting through to the tot, Meta Knight knelt down to set Kirby on the bed as he tried to calm him down at eye level.

"Kirby, I need you to calm down for me okay?" Meta Knight said softly. Kirby shook like a leaf, his eyes misted over with tears as he choked out deep hiccupping breaths. He wasn't looking at Meta Knight, but instead was keeping his focus on the ground. Sighing Meta Knight gently took Kirby's paws into his own and continued, "Kirby…I promise to stay with you as long as you need me, but please settle down. You're very sick and acting this way won't help you feel any better."

Kirby finally looked at him at this statement through all his tears, and hiccupped "P-wmise?"

"Yes Kirby, I promise. As long as you need me I won't leave you," Meta Knight assured, wiping away some of Kirby's tears. Kirby stared at him for a long moment, but eventually nodded. "Good, good," Meta Knight whispered in reply. "Now lay back down. I'm going to grab a bucket just in case you feel sick again and can't make it to the bathroom."

"Okay poy-o," Kirby managed to quietly get out. He then laid back down on his side and watched as his mentor walked out, and returned a minute later with the trash can.

As Meta Knight walked back in he cracked the door closed with his foot, leaving only a sliver of light shining though as he set the bucket by the bed. This made the room very dark. He had closed the curtains earlier to help Kirby sleep better, so the combo of the two left the room in near blackness and prompted anyone to stay in bed and hibernate into an endless slumber. But that was the idea, as he wanted Kirby to rest as much as possible.

Meta Knight gave a sigh as he sat himself on the bed next to the tot, thus prompting Kirby to scoot over to make room for his mentor. He situated himself against the head of the bed, and Kirby scooted in closer to lean against his mentor's side for comfort. Slowly Meta Knight placed a hand on the tot's head and gently started stroking to help calm Kirby down.

Almost immediately Kirby settled in: he hiccuped for the last time before wiping away the rest of the tears and giving a cleansing sigh. Having finally regained his breathing, he seemed to actually be enjoying his mentor's gentle caressing despite himself. He even took some of Meta Knight's cape and snugly wrapped it around himself.

"Feeling better?" Meta Knight tenderly asked, noticing Kirby's contentment. Kirby nodded in response. "That's good. How's your throat?"

Kirby gave a small moan in response; his answer was clear. In reality his throat hurt in more ways than he could express with his severely limited vocabulary. It felt terribly raw and butchered, like if someone swallowed a crown of thorns. And unfortunately, there was no medicine that would help take this type of pain away. He just had to sit there and deal with it.

"I'm sorry little one. I know it's no fun."

Kirby nodded, now being drowsily lulled by his mentor's gentle touch. But of course, for Meta Knight, that was the idea. He noticed long ago that Kirby always relaxed tremendously whenever he stroked the tot in this way. So much so that in the past Kirby had even fallen asleep from the rhythmic motion. In part, it must have just been Kirby's personality. Being the affectionate and loving child Kirby was, it wasn't surprising that he was rather touchy-feely and enjoyed this type of physical contact. However, Meta Knight also assumed it was because Kirby was still quite young. Being a child, it was likely he naturally sought out this type of attention to feel safe and secure. All the more so since he had no true parents to look toward and was constantly being attacked by his Majesty's Demon Beasts. That would be stressful on anyone, no matter how old they were! However, right now Meta Knight intended to just help Kirby come down and relax from the events that only happened a few minutes ago. Hopefully getting Kirby's mind off it would eventually help him fall asleep.

Meta Knight continued his gentle caressing, and watched Kirby as a small smile formed on the tot's face, clearly enjoying the stroking motion. His eyes were closed, and his body language showed he was quite relaxed. Kirby was fully leaning against him, using him much like a pillow really. To be honest, he looked quite comfortable despite how sick he'd been. Despite himself, Meta Knight couldn't keep a small smile from forming on his lips. His eyes briefly flickered bright blue, though Kirby failed to notice.

As Kirby lay there feeling sleepier as time went on he felt Meta Knight's hand move down to his forehead, searching for a fever. He paused and gave a quiet, "Hmm.". But besides that he didn't say anything and resumed his gentle caressing, much to Kirby's enjoyment.

Kirby snuggled farther back into Meta Knight, eyes drowsy and full of sleep. He stretched a little, and gave a big yawn. The rhythmic stroking of his mentor helped lull him to sleep as it started to feel more like a gentle massage, and he could feel sleep slowly taking hold of him. Finally he pulled his mentor's cape up close to his face, and closed his eyes; giving into the pull of sleep.

Meta Knight continued to gently stoke Kirby until a few minutes later when he could feel the child's breathing change. He was finally asleep.

"Sleep well little one," Meta Knight whispered.

* * *

 _Later that day…_

"I wonder what Sir Meta Knight wanted to talk to me about?" Fumu asked herself as she walked the halls of the castle, making her way to the knight's room. "Sword and Blade said it was important."

Fumu picked up her pace a bit, knowing it would be rude to keep Meta Knight waiting for long. She made a few more turns before she made it to the said knight's room. Brushing the hair out of her face, she then gave a gentle knock at the door as she waited. At first she thought it sounded rather quiet and she wondered if Sir Meta Knight was in the room at all, but after a minute she heard a bit of shuffling inside the room, followed by the lock unlatching. The door then opened revealing Sir Meta Knight.

"Oh! Hello Fumu," he politely greeted.

"Hello Sir Meta Knight!" she greeted with a smile. "Sword and Blade told me you wanted to speak with me?"

"Ah…yes. Yes I did," he confirmed, glancing to the side like he was trying to gather his thoughts. He open the door more and invited her in. "Just keep your voice low okay? You'll know why in a minute."

Fumu nodded, as she walked in with Meta Knight closing the door behind them. He then motioned for her to follow as he led her to his room. Meta Knight opened the door slowly, and upon entering Fumu noticed the room had an odd odder to it; like that of a sick person. Fumu looked around, feeling just a tad awkward in his room since she had never been in it before. The curtains were closed, leaving the room dark and dreary. From what Fumu could tell the room was simple with minimal furniture or decoration. But besides that the room was a little too dark to make much of anything out besides Meta Knight's bed. Speaking of which, Fumu had failed to notice Meta Knight standing by the bed, appearing to be tending to something, or…someone. She slowly moved further into the room, craning her neck to get a better view. What she saw though made her stop in her tracks.

There, on the bed was Kirby sleeping in a very unrestful state as Meta Knight gently dabbed a cool cloth on him. Kirby was extremely pale, sweating heavily, and his breathing was terribly hoarse and raspy sounding. Even in sleep he looked extremely uncomfortable and exhausted. She wasn't prepared for this at all, and failed to keep an audible gasp from escaping her lips. The gasp however was just loud enough to cause Kirby to stir in his sleep as he gave a small moan. Both of them tensed for a minute, hoping that Kirby wouldn't wake.

When the tot settled Meta Knight softly whispered, "Shh Fumu. It took a while for Kirby to fall asleep, and I prefer not wake him. He needs his rest," He made sure to keep his voice low to not wake the sleeping tot.

"S-sorry," Fumu whispered back. However she seemed to be only partly listening as all her worry and focus was on Kirby. She glanced at Meta Knight, and with a fearful glint in her eyes asked, "S-Sir Meta Knight, what's wrong with him?! He looks terrible!"

She approached the bed, standing next to Meta Knight as he responded, "He's really sick with a bad case of strep throat. He'll be fine, but he hasn't felt good all day."

She looked at Kirby in disbelief. "Wow, I've…I've never seen him this sick before. It's actually…a bit hard for me to see." She looked away, rubbing her arm as a form of self-comfort.

"I'm sorry Fumu," Meta Knight sincerely apologized. He reassuringly placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort, as the girl looked quite shaken at what she saw.

She gave him a small smile, appreciating the gesture. Regaining herself a little Fumu asked, "So…how did you find out he was sick? You had a training session scheduled today right?"

"Y-Yes…about that Fumu," Meta Knight began, faltering a little. He didn't exactly want to tell her about the day's events and work her up…which in this case, he knew she would be if he told her. However, he couldn't bring himself to lie about the situation. Fumu cared far too much for Kirby, and not letting her know what happened would be utterly disrespectful to her. He gave a sigh, as he pulled his gaze away from her.

"S-Something happened…didn't it?" Fumu asked wide eyed with fear. What could be worse then what Kirby was already enduring?

Meta Knight gave a slow nod. After a moment of mental preparation, he went on to explain everything to her; from when he found Kirby passed out, to the river, to even taking him to Dr. Yabui's. The only things he really left out were his wings, and how much he comforted Kirby through it all.

Fumu on the other hand listened intently to every bit. She was extremely shocked at the information and struggled to take it all in, and at times fought back tears. She just couldn't imagine Kirby going through all that! After what felt like an eternity of bombarding information Meta Knight finally finished, allowing her to gather her thoughts.

She gave a heavy and slightly shaky sigh. "So he's really okay?" She just had to confirm.

Meta Knight nodded. "Yes he's fine now. He's definitely had a rough day, but he's alright. I promise." He gave her a gentle smile even though it couldn't be seen, but his eyes glowed warmer at the gesture.

"'Kay," Fumu quietly said, giving a meek nod. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome. You deserved to know."

She gave a small smile. "Thank you," she said brushing the hair out of her face. Feeling more at ease she asked, "So has he been good for you? Not too difficult I hope?"

"Oh no Fumu, Kirby hasn't caused any issues," he assured. "I would say the only thing is that he did throw up a few hours ago, and he got rather emotional and needy because of it."

Fumu shook her head in disbelief. "I am so sorry you have to deal with this. It's probably the last thing you want to do." But before Meta Knight could interject, she continued "You know you don't have to take care of him if you don't want to. I know you're very busy and have your own things to deal with, so if it's easier my family and I can take him off your hands," she politely offered, trying to make it easier on her elder friend. She figured Meta Knight wouldn't want to be burdened with caring for Kirby while he was sick anyway.

Meta Knight stared at her in silence for a minute before saying, "That won't be necessary Fumu." He turned back to look at Kirby. "I know you mean well, but you guys don't need the extra weight of dealing with Kirby while he's sick. Plus, if Kirby stayed with you guys that would only be exposing your whole family to strep. The less people that catch it the better." Fumu was about to interject, but Meta Knight held a hand up. "Let me finish. And while I know you would take good care of him Fumu, but I feel he needs to be under proper adult supervision at this time. Besides you I know his needs best and I think for Kirby's well-being he needs to be monitored in a quite environment where he can rest up."

Fumu wanted to say something to counter, but as she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Like you said, besides me you know him best, so it's probably good he has an adult like you to give him the proper care," she added with a smile. "I just offered because I thought it would be easier on you."

"That's very kind of you, but I can assure you it's not a problem," Meta Knight assured. "I'll make sure Kirby is comfortable here, so don't worry about it."

Fumu warmly smiled, about to express her thanks when Kirby suddenly hitched in his breathing and uttered a harsh and abrasive cough, causing them to both turn their attention to the child to make sure he was okay. A teary whimper followed suit from pain, as he open his glazed blue eyes.

"Mena," he croaked out, losing his voice. He rolled over toward them, kicking the covers off in the process from having sweated them out again.

"Shh Kirby, don't speak. Save your strength," Meta Knight softly soothed. He gazed down at the miserable child, before softly saying, "Fumu's here to see you." Kirby appeared more alert at the mention of her, and he started looking past his mentor for his friend.

Meta Knight turned toward her, gesturing to come closer to see Kirby as he backed away to give them space. She didn't hesitate and immediately came up besides the sick child.

"Oh Kirby…" Fumu whispered to herself. Seeming him like this felt like a part of her heart was being ripped out. "You poor thing…I'm so sorry." Kirby gave a weak smile, not having the energy for anything else. Despite the situation Fumu couldn't help but smile back. "Kirby, you be good for Meta Knight, okay? I know he'll take good care of you. And…maybe if it's okay with Meta Knight I can come by and check on you a couple times?" She turned to the said knight so see if she had his permission.

"Of course Fumu. You're welcome anytime."

Fumu nodded her thanks, and turned back toward Kirby. "Please get better soon okay?" She gave a sigh and was about to walk away, but before she could Kirby surprised her by pulling her into a gentle hug; she warmly returned it. Having said her goodbyes she and walked out of the room with Meta Knight following.

Closing the door to his room behind them he said, "And Fumu, let's not go spreading Kirby's predicament around. I would prefer to keep such information away from King Dedede."

" _Pfft,_ you don't even have to worry about that with me. If anything I'll be helping you to make sure he doesn't find out." She said as she moved toward the apartment door, putting her hand on the knob.

"Much appreciated Fumu," he said with a nod.

Fumu gave a small smile in return and said, "You're welcome." And with that, she left the apartment leaving Kirby in Meta Knight's trusted care.

Meta Knight watched her leave, giving a sigh and closing his eyes once she was gone. Granted, she had handled that better than he expected and he was happy about that, but the day's busy and stressful events were really starting to wear on him. He knew he wouldn't get a nap in, but maybe at the very least things would settle down some.

He was suddenly startled out of his thoughts when he heard a door creak behind him, causing him to whip around to see what it was. What he saw was Kirby tiredly hobbling out of the room, with one the blankets tightly wrapped around his small form.

"Kirby, what are you doing up? You should be back in bed resting," he said as he quickly made his way by Kirby's side.

But Kirby shook his head appearing a bit uncomfortable, but in what way…Meta Knight couldn't tell.

"What's wrong Kirby? Do you feel sick again?" Meta Knight asked, gently placing a hand on the child's shoulder. Kirby shook his head, causing a wave of relief to wash over Meta Knight; he did _not_ want to go through that again. However he noticed Kirby seemed to wince to his touch, no matter how gentle it was. "Do you feel achy?" he asked. Kirby nodded, shuffling on his feet a little.

Ah, it all made sense now. Kirby had gotten up because his body hurt too much for him to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep. The poor tot needed sleep to recover, but Meta Knight knew from experience that this was a most uncomfortable sensation, and even at times when sleep was what was desired most, it simply wasn't granted.

Meta Knight looked down at Kirby sympathetically. "Do you want to watch some T.V. then? I can adjust the dial on it so you can watch something better than Channel DDD if you like? I've done it before for Sword and Blade as they sometimes like to watch late night movies."

Kirby stayed silent for a moment as if contemplating. However, he eventually looked back up at him and slowly nodded, giving a small 'poyo' to affirm his decision.

"Alright," Meta Knight replied softly. He gently picked Kirby up blanket and all, being careful of his tender body so as not to hurt him. He walked over to his favorite chair and set Kirby in it. He allowed the tot to get comfortable before turning to the T.V to turn it on and switch the station. He fiddled with the dial a bit, finding that sweet spot that caused channel DDD to fade out and allowed another station to take its place. Some movie was on and after staring at the screen for a minute Meta Knight identified it as one he'd seen before. It was a rather romanticized version of the Star Warriors war with Nightmare, and in reality was largely inaccurate given he had experienced it firsthand. But admittedly it was a rather entertaining movie, and better yet he considered it appropriate enough for Kirby given it kept all the horrid, and dark details out.

He turned around and was happy to see Kirby leaning back comfortably with the blanket pulled to his face as he settled and stared at the movie in contentment. Meta Knight smiled a little, just happy to help distract Kirby in any way possible from how he felt. He then approached the tot and placed a hand on his forehead to gain tabs on how his fever was doing. Gently moving his hand around from Kirby's forehead to his cheek, he frowned, feeling the still ever present warmth of that blasted fever.

This wouldn't do: this wouldn't do at all. He'd been working on the fever all day, setting a cool cloth on Kirby when he slept to keep him more comfortable and hopefully break the fever, but it appeared it still needed attention. He walked back to his room and opened the drawer to his nightstand and grabbed a thermometer out of it. He then snatched the cool cloth he'd been using and his pillow for Kirby to lean against, and promptly walked back out.

"Here little one, why don't you lay down?" he suggested as he offered Kirby the pillow.

"'Kay poyo," Kirby complied, voice so soft Meta Knight had a hard time hearing him. He was trying to talk as little as possible to keep from hurting his throat anymore, and if he did talk his voice was very quiet so as not to cause strain. Thankfully talking wasn't much of an issue given his highly limited vocabulary.

Meta Knight fluffed the pillow a little before setting on the seat next to Kirby, who leaned against it comfortably as he situated himself to lay down. Meta Knight then took the thermometer and offered it to Kirby. "Open," he gently prodded, to which Kirby again complied. Meta Knight then took the cool cloth and dabbed it on Kirby while he waited, giving the tot a bit of relief from the fever. They watched the movie in silence for a few minutes when a sudden beep caught their attention.

Meta Knight took the thermometer; it now read 101.2. This was definitely improvement from Kirby's 103+ fever from earlier that morning, and Meta Knight was very happy to see it dropping to more of a "normal" level. Hopefully with some TLC and rest the fever would brake eventually.

Meta Knight stared blankly at the T.V screen for a minute before a thought suddenly popped into his head. "Kirby, are you thirsty? I don't think you've had anything to drink today."

Kirby looked at him and nodded. He swallowed a little, just now realizing how dry his mouth and throat felt.

"Are you by chance hungry too? I know you probably don't have much of an appetite."

Kirby grimaced a little at the mention of food, and shook his head. Food was the last thing he wanted; especially since he threw up not that long ago.

Meta Knight sighed, thinking about what Dr. Yabui said about recommending Kirby to eat with the medicine. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to go against it given Dr. Yabui knew best of the subject, so unfortunately Kirby would have to eat at some point today regardless of how he felt.

"Well…" Meta Knight paused, still mulling over the subject in his head, "I understand that you don't really feel like eating, but Dr. Yabui said that you need to eat to take the medicine. And I would prefer to give it to you sooner rather than later Kirby."

Kirby downcast his eyes a little at this. He hated medicine of any kind, but he knew his mentor was right about needed to take it. But his stomach still felt a bit sensitive and he was afraid of throwing up again if he set it off. And he really, _really_ didn't want that.

Meta Knight noticed Kirby's hesitance, knowing it was because of his stomach. "How about I get you some soup, little one? It's easy on the tummy. And you don't have to eat it all if you don't want to…just enough for the medicine."

Slightly reassured Kirby nodded. To be honest, now that he was more awake he did feel slight hunger pangs at the prospect of food. Maybe he was hungrier than he thought?

"Alright, I'll be back with some soup okay? It'll only take a minute," Meta Knight stated as he walked toward the door, only pausing to get a nod from Kirby as he made his leave for the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

Kirby turned back toward the T.V. as he settled himself back under the blanket. He had never seen this movie before, but regardless he liked it. Just seeing a movie on the War, and what it could have been like intrigued him given he had never experienced it himself. But his mentor Meta Knight had, and he didn't seem to talk about it much. So…maybe turned out differently than the movie portrayed?

Suddenly the door creaked behind him, and Kirby turned to see Meta Knight returning with a glass of water and a fresh, steaming bowl of soup. Kirby mouth watered at the smell of it, and he licked his chops in response.

"Alright, here you go Kirby," Meta Knight said as he offered Kirby the bowl. "It's chicken noodle, one of your favorites."

Kirby nodded. "Ttank youu-poyo," Kirby thanked, though stumbling over the proper pronunciation. Fumu had been working on his speaking skills more recently, and most importantly, manners.

"You're welcome Kirby," Meta Knight smiled, happy Kirby was making some progress in his speech. "Just eat it with the spoon okay? No inhaling. You don't need to be sick again."

Again Kirby nodded, as he picked up the spoon and slowly started to eat. The first few swallows made him whimper in pain. As he went through his throat started to adjust, and didn't hurt nearly as bad. He relished how the warmth of the soup felt against his sore throat when he swallowed, helping to ease the pain of the action. He realized he had a hard time actually tasting his meal from sickness, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.

He got about halfway through his meal when he realized that he didn't have the appetite to finish it. He handed back the half eaten bowl of soup to Meta Knight, who then handed Kirby his glass of water and watched as the tot readily drank it.

"I want you to try and drink as much as you can. You're very dehydrated I'm sure." But there was no need for him to tell Kirby that, as the tot had downed the whole glass within a matter of seconds. "You where thirsty weren't you?" Meta Knight stated as he took the glass back from Kirby. "Good job."

Kirby gave a small smile as he settled back into the seat, pulling the blanket up to his face as he laid down against the pillow. Looking back at the movie he noticed a battle with a thousand demon beasts had commenced. It reminded him of his own battles, just on a much larger scale. He couldn't imagine fighting that many monsters; one on one was hard enough at times!

He gave a small yawn, suddenly feeling a wave of drowsiness wash over him; it must have been the food settling. His eyes felt heavy, and as he watched the movie he struggled to stay awake. He fought for a bit wishing to continue watching, but the longer he fought the more tired he felt. Finally he decided to give up, knowing he could see the movie another time if he really wanted. He snuggled into his blanket and pillow and had almost drifted off to sleep when he felt a gentle nudge against him. He opened his eyes tiredly to see Meta Knight standing in front of him with the bottle of medicine and a spoon. Kirby groaned in response; he hated taking medicine, no matter how sick he was!

Meta Knight looked at Kirby sympathetically. "I know. And I'm sorry for disrupting you, but I need you to take this before you fall asleep. You'll feel better if you do." He then proceeded to pour out a spoonful of the thick, pink liquid and offered it to Kirby.

Kirby grimaced and turned his face away a little. He gave Meta Knight a pitiful look as if hoping his mentor would take pity on him, but one serious look from Meta Knight told Kirby that he wasn't in the mood to fool around. Reluctantly, Kirby opened his mouth and downed the medicine quickly; though he violently shuttered in the process.

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it," Meta Knight stated. He then gently stroked the top of Kirby's head and softly said, "You can go to sleep now."

Kirby only nodded, starting to feel his eyelids go heavy again. He gave another yawn, and settled down under his blanket. Within a few minutes he was asleep once more.

Meta Knight couldn't help but smile a little. Kirby looked so pale and exhausted, but slowly and surely he was on the mend. He gently moved the cool cloth back atop Kirby's head to keep him cool while he slept, and out of habit he gently rubbed the tot's back a little.

He sighed, realizing he was slowly growing a soft spot for the pink puff. He didn't even know how it happened! Surely the day's events weren't helping, as this was now the most involved he had ever gotten into Kirby's life. He was always so guarded about these things, so afraid to get close to anyone for fear of losing them, but Kirby…was different. Whether it was Kirby's personality, his perks and quirks, or something else entirely, Meta Knight wasn't sure. But something about Kirby was breaking past his long guarded walls. Kirby didn't know it, but whenever he was around Meta Knight felt like that dark cloud of mental scars, dark memories, and trauma, would lift from his life just a little and make his day a little brighter. But…to see Kirby almost die today actually had him scared for a while. He kept his emotions in check sure, but it didn't mean he didn't feel the fear of loss. He had already lost so many friends, companions, even family from the war with Nightmare; to have possibly lost one more would have pushed him over the edge.

He gave a shaky sigh at the thought, feeling a slight lump forming in his throat. Why, a world without Kirby…wouldn't be much of a world worth living in to him. He slowly moved his hand to Kirby's cheek and was rewarded with the child leaning into the touch even in sleep. A slight smile formed on the child's face, and Meta Knight's eyes flickered blue in response.

Meta Knight gave another sigh, slowly regaining control of himself. He shook his head; there was no need to think such morbid thoughts when he knew Kirby was slowly on the mend. Kirby was here, alive and well, or….at least well enough. At this point he was just grateful things hadn't turned out worse.

He watched Kirby sleep; breathing raspy, mouth agape. He knew the tot would need his full care until he recovered, and…he was prepared for that. As his mentor and guardian, he needed to be. But that didn't stop a thought from popping into his mind;

' _This is going to be a long week. A long week indeed.'_


End file.
